Toy firearm



Patented Oct. 8, 1929 ROBERT EDWIN REARDON, OF COLUMBIA, PENNSYLVANIA TOY FIREARM Application filed December My invention relates to improvements in toy firearms. The object is to provide a toy which simulates a machine gun, mounted for either ordinary field or anti-aircraft use,

adapted to simulate machine gun fire by detonation of paper cap strip, or percussion without same, and detachable from its mountfor carrying convenience, post mounting, or use as toy pistol. The cap feeding and firing action is normally operated by crank rotation but may be converted for reciprocating trigger operation by substitution of a trigger member for the crank member and appropriate. modification.

I My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 depicts the left side of the gun body with mechanism parts in normal position thereon and a roll of caps in place.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the complete gun and mount.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the left side of the gun body, illustrating modification of parts for trigger operation.

In the drawings like numerals indicate similar parts.

The toy as shown is designed to have most of its parts moulded, preferably of gray iron. The device consists of a gun body formed of sides 1 and 2 and having a door plate 3 pivoted between them to swing up longitudinally of the body, by means of a pivot hub 1 engaging side 2, the plate in closing riding under a button 5 on side 2, and, by being horizontally recessed on its inner face near the lower edge, snapping marginally over the flange projection of side 1 at 6, thus normally enclosing the gun mechanism and shielding user from cap explosion eifects. The forward edge of the door plate is curved to engage and rest on a lateral stud of the hammer shank, camwise, when the plate is raised on its pivot 1. On side 1 is formed a spring recess 7, spring studs 8 and 9, adapted to hold a cap strip retaining spring; a cap-roll stud 10, a marginal flange 11 which serves as a cap anvil, a lower margin flange 12 which acts as a sounding, secondary anvil to increase firing eifect, a drum enlargement 13 forward of firing anvil, simulative of a water-jacket and amplifying sound of 1, 1927. Serial No. 236,927.

fire; a muzzle barrel projection 14, a pistol grip 15, and a dummy trigger 16 as auxiliary grip, and lower flange 17, for pedestal mounting. On body side 2 there are formed the completing halves of an amplifying drum 13 and barrel muzzle 14, the latter being hollow throughout to emit smoke from the drum; :1. door plate button 5; and the complementary mounting flange 18. Between the body sides 1 and 2, in the drum section, is pivoted by a body assembling bolt 19- passing through ears on its shank end, a hammer 20 with a head adapted to strike upwards against the anvil flange 11, and a chin-like projection 21 on the lower part of said head, and a lateral hub projection 20 from the hammer shank that is adapted to be engaged camwise by the for ward edge of door plate 3 when the said plate is raised on its pivot. A coil spring 22 with radial end arms is mounted on assembly bolt 19 below the hammer shank, its upper arm engaging the under side of the hammer head to press it against: the anvil 11. Below the hammer 20 there is pivoted by lateral studs, as 23, engaging body sides 1 and 2, a cap feeding member 2a, the head of which is extended longitudinally beyond the hammer head and projected upwardly to form a socket for one end of tape-like feed spring 25 and an extension 26 to engage a lifting cam, the said extension also acting as a reinforcing and stiffening rest for said feed spring 25, which inclines upward diagonally above said rest to bear upon the marginal flange of body side 1 towards and facing the anvil 11. The lower side of the feed member head forms a hammer 27, hearing downwardly upon the secondary anvil flange 12, by pressure of the lower arm of spring 22, aided by feed spring 2. A cap strip retaining spring 28, of steel tape, has one end anchored in a recess 7 of body side 1 and is held between studs 8 and 9 so that its free upper end bears upon the upper anvil flange and normally intercepts thereon the free end of feed spring 25-, lying under same. Pivoted between body sides 1 and 2 by means of a laterally projected hub engaging side 1, and a crank arm extension integrally formed which engages side 2, in position to engage when rotated the extension 26 of the feed member 24 and the chin projection 21 of the hammer 20, is an operating cam member 29. Between the lower extensions ofbody sides 1 and 2 which form the mounting flanges 17 and 18, is pivoted by means of transverse bolt and wing nut 30 an offset mounting head 31 with a spike-stud downward extension. By means of the said spike-stud extension of mounting head 31 the gun is detachably set in the head of a hollow conical pedestal 32 that is extended from the gun carriage, or trailer, 33, and adapted to swivel laterally thereon, the lateral bolt and wing nut connection of said mounting head with the gun body, and the offset formation of said head, permitting the gun to be traversed vertically from below horizontal to vertical position and clamped at any desired angle for firing. The device is thus adapted to approximate actual usage of a machine gun for field or anti-aircraft lire. The gun carriage 33 has a platform surrounding the base of the pedestal 32, supporting wheels 34, and hauling tongue 35, terminating in a handle cross-bar 36 and hitching eyelet 37. A supporting leg 38 is pivoted to the carriage tongue and also to longitudinally mounted brake bars that are supported on the wheel axles adjoining the carriage body, as 39. When leg 38 is turned down, as shown, to support the gun carriage levelly, the action automatically brakes and steadies the wheels 34, to facilitate gun operation. The open under side of the gun body drum 13 permits cap debris to drop out as it is formed and the gun muzzle opening, being higher, tends to attract and allow exit of the smoke from the explosion. The gun body may be detached from the pedestal head and mounted on any support in which the spikestud of mounting head 31 may be inserted. Or it may be held in one hand, by means of the pistol grip 15 and dummy trigger auxiliary grip 16, and operated by the other hand of user.

In the modification of the gun mechanism shown in Fig. 3, the cam member 29 is replaced in suitably modified form by a 'cam member 40 in which a downward extension formed as a trigger is substituted for the lateral crank extension of the preferred form. This trigger cam member 40'has one pivot hub loosely journalled in a horizontally oblong or overlarge hole in body side 1, as at 41, and the forward wing 42 of the cam is extended to overlap and engage sidewise an under projection 43 of the hammer head. A wedge projection 44 is formed on body side 1 to intercept said cam wing 42 in its downward progress, thus riding it laterally clear of the hammer projection 43 and releasing the hammer to strike. The cam wing 42 and the engaging stud 43 of the hammer are facially inclined to slide past each other when cam member 40 returns to normal position by pressure of the lower arm of hammer spring 22 on the feed member 24, suitably cut away to let the trigger of cam member extend across it, which engages always the rearward cam wing by means of feed member extension 26. Thus reciprocal movement of the trigger engages the cam member with the suitably modified heads of the hammer and cap feeding members, rocks them and re leases them for'return to normal position. To operate the toy, the gun base being set as desired, the door plate 3 is raised for loading, incidentally pressing back the hammer from the anvil 11 by hearing against hammer stud 20, thus locking the hammer against exploding action while the gun body is open and clearing the anvil to facilitate insertion of cap tape. A roll of caps, as 45, is placed on post 10 and the free end of the cap strip shoved along the inner face of the upper marginal flange, towards the anvil 11, until the leading cap, as 46, is in advance of the free ends of retaining spring 28 and feed spring 25. The door plate 3 isthen closed, freeing hammer 20 and riding down under button 5 and over margin flange 6 of the body sides, snappingly engaging the latter. The crank arm of cam member 29 being then rotated, one wing of the cam engages the chin projection 21 of the hammer head, depressing said head against the tension of spring 22, and the other cam wing engages head extension 26 of the feeding member, raising the head against tension of spring 22 and increasing the tension on the hammer of the same spring, pressing the upwardly slanted feed spring 25 against the similarly slanted retaining spring 28 and 011 same against the cap strip and the leading cap, as 46, pushing said cap and the cap strip along the anvil feedway until the cap is upon the anvil 11 proper. Continued rotation of the cam member holds the feed member and feed spring 25 at this limit of movement, the feed spring stiffened in its engagement with the cap strip by having bent into contact with the extension 26 of the feed member head and shielding against backfire the following cap, as 47, while the other wing of the cam rotates from engagement with the hammer head projection 21, and the hammer strikes upward against the cap on the anvil by the pressure of the upper arm of hammer spring 22. Further movement of the cam member 29 releases the feed member 24 and it falls back by pressure of the lower arm of spring 22, aided by tension of feed spring 25, and strikes a hammer blow upon secondary anvil flange 12 on which it normally rests, the hammer face 27 formed on the lower side of the feed member head being adapted to bear upon said anvil flange 12. Repetition of the rotation of the operating crank repeats the action. The expended cap tape and debris therefrom rides forward over the downwardly inclined hammershank and drops out through the opening between sides 1 and 2 of the gun body, on the under side of the drum section of same which simulates a machine gun water-jacket.

To operate the trigger modification of the mechanism, the gun being suitably mounted or held, and loaded as described, the trigger is alternately pressed backward and released, thus reciprocatingly rotating the cam member wings to engage and depress the hammer head; engage and elevate the feed member head to operate the feed spring and shove a cap forward to the anvil; swing laterally, by the cam member pivot hub being pivoted loosely in one side of the gun body, as 41, and release the hammer head to strike the cap upon the anvil 11, and return to normal position by pressure of the hammer spring 22 on the feed member, extension 26 of feed member head bearing down upon the rear wing of the cam.

I claim:

1. In a toy firearm, a body exteriorly simulative of a water-jacketed machine gun, an anvil in same, a hammer pivotally mounted to contact with said anvil, a secondary anvil,

a cap feeding member pivotally mounted to bear with a hammer face upon said secondary anvil, a resilient pawl mounted in the head of the said cap feeding member to bear upon the threshold of said anvil, a spring mounted to bear against said hammer with one arm and against said cap feeding member with another arm a cam member mounted to engage said hammer and said cap feeding member when rotated, swing them from said anvils against tension of said spring and release them.

2. In a toy firearm, a body exteriorly simulative of a water-jacketed machine gun, an anvil in same, a hammer pivotally mounted to contact with said anvil, a secondary anvil, a cap feeding member pivotally mounted to bear with a hammer face upon said secondary anvil, a resilient pawl mounted in the head of the said cap feeding member to bear upon the threshold of said anvil with inclination towards same, a spring mounted to press said hammer and said cap feeding member against their respective anvils, a cam member mounted pivotally to engage said hammer and cap feeding member when rotated and press them away from said anvils and release them, and means for rotating said cam member.

3. In a toy firearm, a body exteriorly simulative of a machine gun, an anvil in same, a

drum enlargement of said body adjacent said anvil, a hammer pivotally mounted to contact with said anvil, a secondary anvil, a cap feeding member pivotally mounted to bear with a hammer face upon said secondary anvil, a resilient pawl mounted in the head of said cap feeding member tobear upon the threshold of said anvil with inclination towards same, a spring mounted to extend against said hammer and cap feeding member, towards said anvils, a cam member pivotally mounted to rotate against said hammer and cap feeding member, press them from said anvils and release them, and means for rotating said cam member.

4. In a toy firearm, a gun body, an anvil in same, a hammer pivotally mounted to contact with said anvil, a cap feeding member pivotally mounted below said hammer memer and carrying a resilient pawl mounted to bear upwardly upon the threshold of said anvil with inclination towards same, spring means for pressing the said hammer against the anvil and the cap feeding member away from same, a cam member pivotally mounted to rock against the hammer, pressing it away from anvil, and against the cap feeding member to move it towards said anvil, and hand engagement extension of said cam member, whereby it may be rocked.

5. In a toy firearm, a gun body, an anvil in same, a hammer pivotally mounted to contact with said anvil, a cap feeding member pivotally mounted below said hammer member and carrying a resilient pawl mounted to bear upwardly upon the threshold of said anvil with inclination towards same, spring means for pressing the said hammer against the anvil and the cap feeding member away from same, a cam member pivotally mounted to rock the hammer away from anvil and release it, and rock the cap feeding member towards the anvil and hold it until said hammer is released, and a hand engagement extension of said cam member.

6. In a toy firearm, a body exteriorly simulative of a machine gun, a cap feeding and:

firing mechanism in said body, a mounting head with offset spike-formed mounting stud journalled in said body, a gun pedestal with head adapted to detachably and pivotally receive said stud, a wheel mounted base on said pedestal and a supporting leg on same, brakes on the wheels and means for setting said brakes by setting said leg in supporting position.

ROBERT EDI/VIN REARDON. 

